Wildlife

Wild Corncrake Recovery Progress

Corncrake populations in western Scotland and Ireland are showing recovery thanks to targeted agri-environment payments for sympathetic grassland management.

Key Facts

UK corncrake populations declined from over 1 million calling males to under 1,500 today
Recovery in the Western Isles and Orkney reflects sustained agri-environment investment
Delayed cutting, corncrake-friendly cutting techniques and iris bed retention have increased breeding pairs
The corncrake is now a rare success story for agri-environment scheme wildlife recovery
Population monitoring through calling male counts tracks recovery trends annually

Welfare Considerations

Corncrake recovery demonstrates what sustained investment in farmer-wildlife cooperation can achieve. Individual corncrakes benefit directly from the delayed cutting and habitat management that agri-environment schemes fund.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB Scotland and agri-environment schemes funding corncrake-friendly farming
Listen for calling corncrakes on visits to western Scotland in May and June
Report corncrake calling locations to RSPB to support population monitoring